Batter-Fried Green Beans from Coco500 (Bizou) in San Francisco, Calif., on January 20, 2010. Food styled by Pailin Chongchitnant.

Photo: Craig Lee, Special To The Chronicle

Batter-Fried Green Beans from Coco500 (Bizou) in San Francisco,...

Image 3 of 6

Fenton's Creamery, at 4226 Piedmont Ave in Oakland has been a community landmark for over 114 years, serving grilled sandwiches, salads and creamery favorites like Black and Tan sundaes.
Photographed in Oakland Calif, Thursday May 8, 2008. By Lance Iversen / San Francisco Chronicle.

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

Fenton's Creamery, at 4226 Piedmont Ave in Oakland has been a...

Image 4 of 6

Photo: Mike Kepka, The Chronicle

Image 5 of 6

Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle

Image 6 of 6

Boccalone NDUJA sausage in San Francisco, Calif., on July 29, 2009. Sausage that can spread.

Photo: Craig Lee, The Chronicle

Boccalone NDUJA sausage in San Francisco, Calif., on July 29, 2009....

Anyone who says that eating for a living isn't all it's cracked up to be has some serious issues with the truth.

Eating is an obsession for The Chronicle's Food and Wine staff. Sure, as in any job, there are some drawbacks - such as not getting invited to friends' homes for dinner because they're petrified to cook for us. That only forces us to ferret out even more culinary hot spots.

Each member of the staff has distinctive tastes, yet despite our differences there are some things that we're collectively crazy about. Fresh Dungeness from Swan's Oyster Depot means crab season is here. The lemon meringue cake from San Francisco's Tartine is our dessert of choice for birthdays. The Bostini cream pie from Scala's Bistro has us going back for seconds. We'd drive to Yountville every day if we could for a fix of the "Oreo" cookie at Bouchon Bakery. And we all agree that the burrata from A16 is pretty much as close to heaven as we're likely to ever get.

What about our individual choices? We've come up with a list, each one of us choosing our five favorite food items. Agree? Disagree? Chronicle readers have always been an opinionated lot - so bring it on.

Inside: The Inside Scoop restaurant news. Plus, a revisit to Left Bank in Larkspur. E2

Sunday: The Breakaway Cook shows how everyday cooks can make the most of an ethnic pantry. Food & Wine

Amanda Gold

Arnold Palmer at Fish in Sausalito: The perfect ratio of fresh-squeezed lemonade to iced tea.

Caesar salad at Pizzeria Picco in Larkspur: Whole, crunchy leaves, a generous dusting of grated Parmesan cheese and hand-torn, toasted croutons make this one of the best Caesars around.

Mini cupcakes at Sweet Things Bakery (Tiburon and San Francisco Cal-Mart): These bite-size, buttery cakes with dollops of sugary frosting are affordable, delicious and perfect for all ages.

U2 roll at Koo in San Francisco: The roll blends crispy shrimp tempura with a topping of spicy tuna and avocado - sweet, heat, crunchy and tangy all in one bite.

Chocolate chip scones from John Campbell's Irish Bakery in San Francisco (with a new location in Cow Hollow): These fresh-from-the-oven scones, laden with a generous amount of half-melted chocolate chips, make a perfectly decadent breakfast.

Jon Bonné

Wine editor

Pork chop at Nopa in San Francisco: Brined for 24 hours and big enough to put a steak to shame, this is what pork chops want to be when they grow up.

Verduno Pelaverga at SPQR and Perbacco in San Francisco: This lighthearted grape from Piedmont is the lip-smacking Italian answer to Beaujolais.

The Woody at Wood Tavern in Oakland: With house-made chipotle tomato juice and a Spaten chaser, this is a Bloody Mary that demands to be taken seriously.

Brandade at Coco500 in San Francisco: Y'all can keep your fried green beans; I'll be waiting for that bubbling ramekin of salt-cod spread with fennel crackers, matched to a glass of rosé.

Octopus ceviche tostada at Mariscos la Costa in Oakland: This always-fresh snack at an International Boulevard seafood stand may be the best thing between the MacArthur maze and Oakland Airport.